Method and machine for the abstraction and preparation of fibers



Oct. 31, 1939. F. P. GARDNER METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE ABSTRACTION AND PREPARATION OF FIBERS Filed Aug. 14, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FEEDER/CK P Gaza/WEE Oct. 31, 1939. GARDNER 2,177,647

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE ABSTRAC'I ION AND PREPARATION OF FIBERS Filed Aug. 14, 1936 '7 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR v FEEDEP/C/(P- saw/me A'IITORN Oct. 31, 1939. p GARDNER 2,177,647

METHOD MACHINE FOR THE ABSTRACTION AND PREPARATION OF FIBERS Filed Au 14, 19:56 7 Sheets-Sheet s FEEDER/CA E GHFD/VE Oct. 31, 1939. F. P. GARDNER 2,177-647 usmon AND MACHINE FOR THE ABSTRACTION AND PREPARATION OF FIBERS Filed Aug. 14, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 W W. W/M

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INVENTOR FQFOSG/r/(H aaeaA/ze ATTORN Y Oct. 31, 1939. F. P. GARDNER METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE ABS'I'RACTIDN AND PREPARATION OF FIBERS Filed Aug. 14, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 X 85 m m w mz F a H J F NW C W f D a F BY MC ATTO NEY Oct. 31, 1939.

F. P. GARDNER METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE ABSTRA TION AND PREPARATION OF FIQERS 7 Sheets-Slieet 6 Oct. 31, 1939. F. P. GARDNER 2,177,647

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE ABSTRACTION AND PREPARATION OF FIBERS Filed Aug. 14, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR F0/6f Gaza/v52 ail. mi. ,9

' ATTORNEY Patented Oct. '31, 1939 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE ABSTRAC- TION AND PREPARATION OF FIBERS Frederick ,P. Gardner, New York, N. Y. Application August 14, 1936, Serial No. 96,010

21 Claims.

This invention relates to the abstraction and preparation of fibers from the fiber-bearing portions of plants, such as the stalks of various members of the kind from which fibers known 6 commercially as bast fibers are derived, the group including the flax plant, hemp, jute, ramie and the like, to name only a few well-known and representative examples of awide range of sources of bast fibers and allied products sus- 10 ceptible of profitable recovery in commercial quantities by the novel method and machine of the present invention.

Theobject of the present invention is to provide, in the first place, a novel and improved method by which bast fibers may be recovered more completely, more economically, and in bet-' ter condition, than has heretofore been possible,

either by hand methods, or by any of the known machines at present available in any of thecountries where attempts have been made, with more or less success, to use such machines commercially. -This primary'object of the present invention includes also the provision of a machine of novel construction which, as herein disclosed, has been designed with the particular object in view of serving to carry into effect the abstraction-and preparation of bast fibers by the method herein disclosed, and-also by the method disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 62,018, al-

though it isto be understood that certain of the structural features of this new machine, as dis closed in the present application, are available for use in the practice of other methods, and for the treatment of other materials than those described illustratively herein. 3

In general, I contemplate the utilization of its several instrumentalities in any'fieldof use where they maybe employed advantageously by reason The results of these earlier attempts have not been altogether satisfactory, for the reason, among others, that with the crushing, crimping '45' and like operations which have been proposed for treating the stalks, themechanisms used'to carry these methods into eflect are not self-cleaning, but on the, contrary become clogged cumulatively as the treatment progresses, and this 0108- 50, ging by, the non-fibrous material causeswinding and lapping of the fibers around the mechanisms, with such damage and loss therefrom as to pro- ;hibit their profitable and commercial use. This is particularly evident when use is made of inter- 55 locking rolls and; similar interlocking devices, a

provision which characterizes certain of the known machines.

Another outstanding reason for the lack of success in effecting commercial abstraction and preparation of bast fibers from plant sources thereof has been that in-none of the conventional types of machines known to me has there been the provision of floating mechanism adequate to allow the material to travel in a direct path through the various stages while the mechanisms operate upon the material with such a degree of firmness, frequency and thoroughness as to separate the fibers entirely from the nonfibrous solids, also .to expel the fragments of .woody and non-fibrous solids entirely from the path of progress of the extracted fibers through the various stages of the machine, and finally to deliver the useful fibers in their natural condition, without loss or impairment from the mechanical ,forces to which they have been subjected.

On the contrary, in every machine of which I am aware, the fibers are folded, crushed, crimped or violently twisted between the mechanical elements employed, and in no existing machine are the fibers aided fioatingly to follow a direct path through the several mechanisms as the material advances through the machine.

Under such conditions, it is an object of the present invention to'provide a method which con-' stitutes a radical departure from conventional methods of abstracting bast fibers from plant sources thereof, and as the result of prolonged research and experimentation, I have succeeded in making provision for combining in one continuous operation the principle of kneading the fibrous material tofree and abstract the fibers therefrom, and the principle of agitating the fibrous material simultaneously toan extent sumcient to shed the woody or non-fibrous solids, .and to expel the fragments thereof from the path of the fiber, and this combined operation I believe to be, wholly novel in the art.

I have found that the rapid oscillatory kneading of fibrous material while reciprocating it lengthwise as it progresses forward in a direct path, such kneading being preferably accom-' plished by'mean's" of a kneading head oscillated at very high frequency, not only kneads the wood away from the fiber, but also expels the woody fragments entirely clear of the fibers, by virtue of the characteristic mode of operation, discharging the woody fragments from .all surfacesof the fibers and from the path of "delivery of the fibers; and I have found that this self-cleaning most critical stages of the treatment of the inaterlal.

A cognate object of the invention is to provide a continuously rotating'drum fitted with doubleedged instruments co-operating with similar double-edged instruments on the kneading head, the double-edged instruments being of novel,

self-cleaning design. As the kneading head os-- cillates past the double-edged blades of the drum, its double-edged blades draw the fibrous material upward and downward with equal frequency in each direction, so that the woody material is reduced to a size suitable to pass out through openings provided for that purpose in the kneading head, and through these openings the fragments are advanced by the agitating action to which reference has already been made.

- This simultaneous and combined kneading and agitating action or principle is such that the above mentioned fragments, known as hurds or shives, are expelled from the fibers and are kept continuously in motion clear of the fiber, and are delivered to suitable conveyors, for discharge 1 from the machine.

According to my invention, these fragments are at no time permitted to rest or accumulate upon the fibers as they pass through the machine, and in this connection, provision is made of one or more shaking trays or plates, which are so connected with the kneading heads that the trays are shaken in unison with the kneading heads, and thereby complete the desired expulsion of the fragments from the 'path of progress of the useful fibrous product, and thefragments are conveyed from the machine.

In the path of delivery from the first stage of treatment, my invention provides for carrying the fibers along by means of a novel system of flexible, floating, gripping shoes, and these carry the fibers to another stage of treatment, the most important object of which is to break down further, open out, and soften .the fibers, so as to prepare them for degumming, in the case of green stalks; and also in the case of retted stalks, to remove any adhesio'ns that have been left by the first stage.

As in the first stage, this second stage preferably provides a series of double-edged instruments moving constantly in a forward direction, as for example upon the periphery of a rotor, to which the blades are attached removably and adjustably, co-acting with the above mentioned double-edged blades upon another oscillating kneading head, the actionbeing equally effective both forward and backward in each of the stages, so that the invention provides fora plurality of co-acting sets of edged instruments, in separate stages of the machine, but coordinated with each other, and with the intermediate floating shoe conveyor, to promote the continuous advancement of the material directly through the machine, which has been already mentioned as one of the outstandingobjects of the present invention. Several stages of this character may of course be provided and right-and ieft-hand threads spread the material,

and deliver it to a novel type of floating cradle belt conveyor by which it is advanced to the first stage of, treatment. .The magnetic rolls act also to remove tramp metal, and so prevent it from entering the machine.

The floating cradle arrangement or set comprises a lower floating, resilient, non-rupturing belt extending for virtually'the entire distance between the magnetic spreading rolls and the rotor and kneading head couple, which constitute the principal elements of the first stage; and the set comprises also an upper, floating, resilient, non-' rupturing, complemental feed belt, which is preferably considerably shorter than its companion lower belt.v According to the invention, the belts diverge at the region of entry of the fibrous material there-between, the other or delivery ends of the belts being close together, with the intended belts is adjustable, as is also the extentof the opening at the delivery ends, of the cradle belts; also, the lower belt is under spring tension, and is thus allowed to move away from the upper cradle belt, this co-acting arrangement insuring the application of a constant, even pressure frictionally to the material being fed therebetween, compensating automatically for difierences in thickness thereof. When the. material leaves the delivery ends of these belts, they return respectively to their normal positions, the belts being apart at the intake end to permit free entry of the material.

The rolls upon which the belts run are provided, in pursuance of the invention, of which this constitutes an important feature, with suction cups or studs of resilient material, at suitably spaced intervals, and which serve several purposes, via, to increase traction, also to increase the resiiiency of th lts, us preventing crushing of the material, and also serving to compensate yieldingly for'difl'erences in the thickness of the stalks or other material upon which their feeding action is exerted. v

In a preferred arrangement for said purpose, the inner roll of the cradle feed is so disposed as to overhang the kneading head, and thereby bring the delivery end of the cradle belt into close juxtaposition with the rotor and the kneading head respectively. The upward and downward movements of the kneading head can be, and preferably are, communicated to the cradle when thus disposed,and the effect is to rock the cradle with head, so that the feeding action of the cradle is panion belts, which is nevertheless of an order that prevents it from rupturing or crimping the sheet of material being fed.

The next novel device included in the present invention for exerting a floating action upon the material, under suitable restraint, but without rupturing or twisting action, comprises a member, such as a plate or roll, which is associated with the kneading head and moves up and down therewith, while being free to open to any desirable space away from the top of the kneading head. This member is provided to act as a damper upon the upward and downward movement of the material imparted by the oscillations of the kneadinghead, and at the same time the member is so disposed as to compensate for any variations in the thickness of material being fed, exerting a steady damping action on the material without retarding its movement through the machine. If a roll is provided to serve the above purpose it may be driven positively or may simply be arranged to float, for the intended purpose.

In order that the condition of the machine may be one of desirable cleanness from non-fibrous material at all stages of treatment after the original removal or separation of the woody material 'in the first stage of treatment, provision is made by the invention for one or more auxiliary trays which are placed under the flexible feed belts, and one of these trays underlies the run of the flexible gripping shoes or units, extending thence to the'outside of the frame. This tray collects the hurds or woody fragments removed from the stalks by the action of the first kneading head and falling clear of the machineby gravity. A vibratory movement for this tray may be provided by a suitable connection with the kneading head or other reciprocating or rotary 'fn ember of the machine.

The invention provides further for final discharge of the fibers in clean, open condition, after treatment in the secondary stage or stages, by

means preferably of wire-mesh conveyors cooperating to carry clear of the machine, the fibers in parallel arrangement-to a regionconvenient for the inspection and final disposition of the useful fibers. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide an exhaust system for trapping cellulose dust and other by-products released by the action of the kneading instruments during the. abstraction of the fiber, and which may be thus recovered "for useful employment.

An object of notable for varying the period-or frequency of oscillation of the kneading heads, or-either of them, in

order to vary the intensity of the knea ding action, to correspond with the requirements of fiberbearing stalks or other sources of fiber having.

different characteristics. This provision has been found ,very valuable in practice.

Other objects and features of the invention will be madeto appear as the description of the particular'physical embodiment selected to illustrate sources of bast fiber, in the construction of which importance is to provide;

machine the present invention has been carried into effect;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the machine illustrated in-Fig, 1; r

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in plan of said machine;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view in horizontal section, taken on the line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing a portion of the oscillating feeding belt mechanism in its initial operative position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of a somewhat diagrammatic character, taken from the same point ofview as Fig. 5, but showing the feed belts in a different operative position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical, sectional elevation, taken on the line 1-1 of Fi 5; I

Fig] 8 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical sectional elevation, illustrating a portion of each of the two stages of kneading treatment of the fiber-bearing material, with the conveyor belts connecting parts of the operating mechanism, this view being taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 2, and on a larger scale;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail view in upright, transverse section on the line 9-5 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentarydetail view of one of the kneading heads, viewed in rear elevation,

separately, and broken away at the middle;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical, longitudinal section, taken on the line I ll I of Fig. 4, and illustrating 'the kneading head by operation of which, with'its associated parts, the non-fibrous solids are separated from the fibers by kneading andeoncurrent agitation and are thus cleared from the operating parts and from the path of delivery of the abstracted fibers;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary detail view similar to Fig. 11, with the working parts of the first stage in a different operative position;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 11, illustrating a modification of parts of the mechanism for feeding the fibrous material into the first stage of treatment, and also illustrating the kneading and cleaning means and their associated parts in the course of operation to carry into effect the first stage of treatment;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical longitudinal section, of a modified form of feed conveyor means operative to advance the fibrous material to the first stage of treatment.

Fig. "15 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical, sectional elevation, of the second stage, taken on the line l5l5 in Fig. 2, the operating parts being shown as of a structure modified from that of the correspbnding partsin'the first stage.

In the now-preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustration and description, generally and briefly considered in itsbroader aspects, the invention involvesafeeding mechanism, designated generally by the reference character A, for receiving and for advancing in anon-crushing, floating manner, the-stalks containing hast fibers, or other'fibrous material, from fiber-bearing plant" sources, from which mechanism the material is entered into a stage of mechanism, designated generally B, and hereinafter referred to as the firststage of treatment, where the nonfibrous components, such as the woody solids, are kneaded away and separated from the useful fibers by the kneading head and rotor included in this stage, and thesenon-fibrous components are at once removed from the further path of progress of the fibers through the machine.

h The fibers, thus freed from clogging fragments I of the woody material, are advanced from the first stage B to a second stage, designated generally as D, by means of a system of gripping shoes or devices associated flexibly with a pair of endless belts constituting a conveyor, designated .generally as C, which carries the fibers in a floating manner, free from crushing or bruising or twisting impairment of the natural condition of the fiber, delivering the same to the kneading couple constituting the aforesaid sec- 0nd stage of mechanism, in which the fibers are extended inparallelism, separated, softened, and further prepared for useful employment in the arts, being thereafter discharged from the machine in their natural condition, unimpaired by. the various stages of treatment, which include other. phases to be described more at length in the following portions of the specification.

The frame structure comprises also the side brackets 42, carrying standards 43, provided with bearings 44, for the shaft of roll 2|, and carrying also the standards 46 which support the .guides 48. The main frame F supports also the ovierhead structure F, an intermediate frame section F", and the operating parts to which reference will be duly made in detail. I

Preliminary to the action of the above described feeding mechanism, the stalks are placed by hand on a conveyor apron 28 running over rolls 2I and 22 between guides 48 which are somewhat convergent toward the central bite 30' of a set R of rolls R'and R",best seen in Fig. 7, and each having spiral teeth 80 with intervening grooves 39, the upper roll being tapered from each end toward its middle, so that the tendency of these co-operating rolls acting upon a batof stalks fedgtherebetween is to spread the stalks out toward each side of the conveyor belts constituting the next stage of feeding mechanism A, to be hereinafter described at length.

The rolls-R and R" may desirably be permanently magnetized, to serve as a convenient form of means of separating out and preventing from passing into the machine such extraneous matter as nails, bolts and wire which are responsive to magnetic attraction. V

The feeding mechanism A comprisesfurther (see Fig. 11) a belt conveyor of novel structure which includes the lower endless belt'29, and an intermediate portion 51 of the upper endless belt 41 of which the upper belt is herein referred to as the floating cradle belt, and the lower as the companion belt. These belts cooperate to, receive the fibrous material from the roll couple R and act to float it along to the first stage, in its natural condition, spread out as it is delivered to the companion belt 29,

which is arranged to extend close to-the deliveryside of the roll couple 3.. At the leading end, this belt 29 upon a roll 49, which iskeyed, as at 48, to the shaft so (see Fig. 11). The roll 49 is provided also with resilient friction or suction cups or plugs 52, which will be described more at length.

The upper stretch 53 of the companion belt 29 (see Fig. 11) which is that upon which the matc rial is fed, receives resilient support from a table 54 hingedly mounted at 55 upon an upright part 58 of the intermediate frame section -F", the table resting upon the head 68 of a plunger 58 surrounded by a coil spring 59 which timetable 54 upward to a positionwhiehmayberegulatedbynutafl screwed upon the threaded lower end of the plunger and bearing against an abutment 8| of the frame section F".

The endless floating cradle belt 41 runs upon rolls. 63 and 64, which are desirably of metal, and are provided, at suitably spaced intervals, as shown in Figs. 4 and 11, with resilient suction cups 52, the same being formed by driving screws 65 through plugs of rubber 52 inserted-in sockets 66 formed in the periphery of the several rolls.

"In the instance illustrated, the rolls 49, 63 and 84 are so provided, but this application to particular rolls is merely .illustrative, and'is not intended to exclude the provision of such suction cups in' combination with over-running belts wherever this novel form of traction device may be used to advantage.

v Such suction cups not only add substantially to the tractive effect between the rolls and belt, but also cause the beltto enter into resistantly yielding engagement with the stalks or other fibrous material, compensating for the difference in thickness thereof.

In further pursuance of the present invention, as embodied in this floating cradle mechanism (see Figs. 1 and 11), a shaft 61, carried in bearings 68 of standards 89 bolted on the frame section F", serves to support rocking cradle bars I8 at the free ends of which are mounted shafts II and 12, the latter carrying the roll 63 rotatively, and the shaft II being keyed, as at 13, to the roll 84. Upon theend I4 (see Fig. 4) of this shaft II, is fixed a sprocket wheel I5 from which a sprocket chain I6 runs to a sprocket wheel TI on the shaft 61, andthe shaft 61 isirotated by a sprocket chain I8 running to a sprocket wheel I9 on shaft 61, from a sprocket wheel 88 (see Fig. 1) on the shaft 58 which drives the inner roll .49 of the companion belt. This shaft 58 carries at its other end (see Fig. 4) another sprocket wheel 8| from which a sprocket chain 82 runs to a sprocket wheel 83 on a shaft 84 which has a sprocket wheel 85 from which a sprocket chain 86 runs to a sprocket wheel 81 fast on an overhead countershaft 89 (see Fig. 1). v

The shaft 88 is provided with another sprocket wheel 89 under which passes a sprocket chain 98,

'Before proceeding to a moredetailed descrip-- tion of the operation of the feeding belts, it may Y be noted briefly that the shaft 92 has a sprocket wheel connected by a sprocket chain 94 with a sprocket wheel 95 on the shaft 98 of the rotor 91, which constitutes'an element of the first stage of kneading mechanism, and a sprocket chain 98 connects the shaft 92 with an actuating sprocket wheel 99 on the shaft I88 for the eccentric [III by which oscillating movement is imparted through a pitman I82 to a rock-arm I83 carrying the kneading head I84 which constitutes the other element of said first kneading stage.

It will be seen from the foregoing that perfect co-or'dination is thus secured for the operation of these important instrumentalities, and similar oo-ordination of the second kneading stage is secured by the provision of a sprocket chain I85 running from a sprocket wheel I89 on the shaft 81 to a sprocket wheel I81 on the shaft I88 of the second stage rotor I89 (see Fig.1).

The conveyor belts C and C" which constitute the conveyor (to be described in detail later), by which the useful fibers are transferred to the secstage B, are respectively co-ordinated with these stages by sprocket wheels H0 and III respectively, around which the chain I8 runs (see Fig. 1). Idlers H2 and H3 are provided to give suitable direction to portions of the chain I8 between the several sprocket wheels driven thereby, and the driving sprocket wheel 80.

Reverting now to the description of the structure and the mode of operation of the feeding mechanism, first as disclosed in the-two difiere'nt positions shownin Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 respectively, and with further reference to Fig. 11, it will be seen from Fig. 5 that the cradle belt 41 occupies normally a position in which its forward end diverges to a substantial extent from the companion belt 29, as indicated at I0, being biased to the divergent position by the action of a tension spring 8, and provided with an adjustable abutmentscrew I, the latter being held in a lug 6 of the frame member F3, the spring and abutment screw both being engaged with an extension 5 of at least one of the cradle bars I0.

The material being fed can enter freely between the belts 29 and 41 at their divergent ends,

and when the material is fed by travel of the belts in unison with each other, the ends "IX of the cradle bars are raised slightly but perceptibly as the material forces the roll 64 away from the roll 49, and the forward ends of the cradle bars I0 are tilted downward against the action of the spring 8, as shown in Fig. 6.

Thus, a, firm, frictional traveling feed pressure of a floating character is continuously applied to the fibrous material by the complemental cradle and companion belts, the pressure being of an order designed not to crush the fibrous material, which is delivered from the belts in a smoothly spread-out continuous sheet to the bite of the first stage, which, as hereinbefore mentioned, comprises the oscillating kneading head I04 made up of several blades or edged instrumentalities H4 and a rotor with blades II5, which are caused to revolve constantly in the same direction and therefore tend to feed the material forward in the direct path in v which it is being reciprocated up and down.

In the instance illustrated, the range of throw of the head I04 can be varied by adjusting the pitman I02, and the frequency of oscillation can be varied by changing the speed of the shaft I00. The feeding speed can be changed by varying the linear speed of travel of the belts 29 and 41, and very sensitive response to the exigencies encountered in treating materials of different characteristics can be readily effected, Furthermore, where the blades, as I I5, movable in a constantly forward direction, are mounted in the periphery of a rotor9I, as shown, the speed of rotation of the shaft 96 may be varied to accomplish desired modulations of the intended effect.

The shaft 96 of rotor 91 is journalled in bearing blocks I I 6 adapted to be adjusted slidingly on ways I II by a known form of adjusting means II8-I I9, andit is intended that the clearance have traveled several hundred times between the position shown in Fig.11 and its extreme lower position shown in Fig. 12, and inasmuch as the blades I I4 and H5 cannot possibly be allowed to intermesh with each other, on account of such a disparity of peripheral speeds, the opposed blades can exert no crimping, crushing or twisting action upon the fibers butwill have kneaded away from the fibers at each reciprocatory movement a moiety of the woody or non-fibrous hurds or shives.

In pursuance of the invention, provision is made for holding the material taut during and after the kneading action, and a plurality of means for this purpose appear illustratively in the drawings. In Figs. 11 and 12, there is shown a damping device comprising afoot I20 upon a plunger I H movable lengthwise ina bracket I22 of the frame F, and spring-biased, as at I23, into contact with the material I where it passes over the plate I24 of the kneading head. As shown in Fig. 12, the foot follows the plate I24 down throughout its throw, exerting upon the material I a slight but constant pressure, of an order adequate to keep it taut in co-operation with the rotating force exerted by the rotor blades I I5 successively.

The lower reach I a: of the useful fibers is maintained in taut condition by a run of mechanism C to be described later, but first certain modifications of the damping mechanism will be disclosed. In Fig. 13, a roller I25 is shown as substituted for a part of the head-plate I24, mounted on a shaft I26 which may be arranged to rotate the roll I25 positively, or to permit its rotation. The damping foot I20 and its'associated parts may be, and desirably are, similar in structure and function to parts bearing like characters of reference in Figs. 11 and 12.

In Fig. 14 a damping arrangement is shown which involves a considerable departure from the damping devices disclosed in Figs. 11-13, but not a departure from the basic idea of means underlying this feature of the invention.

In this modification, the ends I! of .cradle bars, otherwise similar to those shown at I0 in Fig. 11 for example, and described with reference thereto, are extended to a position overlying the kneading head I041: and this cradle is provided with a roll 64a: of smaller diameter than the roll64 of Fig. 11, being adapted to be engaged by the plate I241: on head I041: when the latter reaches the dotted line position shown in Fig. 14.

When the head moves up further, the cradle arms I'I. rock, and the cradle is subject to trepidations corresponding with the oscillations of the kneading head, thus exerting a species of nibbling action upon the material as it passes under the .roll 639:. It will be understood that in the case of this modification the damping force is supplied by the bias of a spring (not shown) like the spring 8 of the Fig. 5 structure. 1

This .modification is somewhat simpler in structure and has been found to operate with increased efficiency in practice, as compared with anyof the damping devices shown in earlier figures.

Reference has been hereinbefore made to'a combined step of agitation, performed simultaneously with the kneading step of separating the useful fibers completely from the woody and nonfibrous components of the stalks and like fibrousmaterial, and this step of agitation is the direct result of the high-frequency oscillation of the reciprocating blades on the oscillating head in proximity to, but at no time intermeshing with, or touching, the forwardly rotating blades.

The woody material is chipped by the coaction of these double-edged, non-intermeshing blades into fragments of a size which permits the kneading devices to throw them off, and in order to facilitate' complete clearance of the woody fragments, hurds or shives from the abstracted fibers, and removal of the fragments from the path of progress of the useful fibers through the machine, I have provided a kneading head, the preferred form of which is best illustrated in Fig. 10, the same being characterized by a set of elongated blades II4, assembled with intervening spaces I34 of dimensions ade- (mate to constitute outlets for the hurds and shives or other non-fibrous components of woody character. 1 I

Bolts I35 are provided to retain the blades in assembled relation with the head plate I24 already, described, and shown in. Fig. 11. The members I041: 'are integral with the head I04.

In order to promote complete discharge of the hurds and shives from the machine after their removal from the path of progress of the useful fibers, the invention provides several means each contributory to the discharge of a particular portion of the non-fibrous material.

First, the fragments discharged through the outlets J34 just described are received upon a head, the result being a steady progression of v fragments down the inclined tray and off the end I42 thereof on to a suitable transverse conveyor (not shown) by which they are carried out of the machine. v

Fragments which do not pass through the kneading head, but are thrown off from the non-fibrous components, and it maintains their taut condition as the conveyor transfers them in parallel disposition to the second stage of treatment. talities of the machine, this conveyor is characterized by a floating disposition of .the novel devices provided to grasp and advance the abstracted useful fibers, without rupturing them or impairing their original integrity.

In general, the conveyor structure C includes a pair of complemental endless chain conveyors C and C", of which pair each chain conveyor is constitutedby two chains I45 and I46, (see Fig. 9) which are spaced apart and connected by bridge members I4'I attached to thx chains by lugs I48. Every two adjacent bridge members, as best shown in Fig. 8, serve 'to support a shoe member S which acts in the floating manner Incommon with other instrumen desired, to grip the fibers Ix, as indicated in Fig. 11, with a yielding pressure, suflicient to exert a draft lengthwise upon the fibers, maintaining the taut condition thereof without injury thereto.

The shoes upon one of the conveyors are so disposed as to enter into co-operative contact with shoes upon the other conveyor as they arrive successively at the intake end of the conveyor structure shown in Fig. 8, and this relationship continues to the region where the fibers are delivered to the second stage of treatment D.

Such provision of floating, resilient gripping shoes mounted in co-operative disposition upon complemental conveyors to exercise a tensional friction traction uponelongated strands such as the abstracted fibers of the sort herein described, Ibelieve to be original with me, and it is so claimed generically; except where otherwise specifically limited in certain claims directed more particularly to the now-preferred physical embodiment 'of the resilient gripping shoes described below,

the same having been found to afford satisfactory performance in use.

As shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 11, each shoe S preferably includes an elongated strip I 50 of stiiiiy resilient material, such as rubberized fabric of called its width, suitable to extend across the gap between the chains I45l45, as shown in Fig. 9, so that all of the fibers abstracted from the spread-out sheet of fibrous material under treatment will be received properly and controlled by the conveyor structure.

Each shoe component strip is of sufficient extent in its other dimension, herein called its length, to permit one end edge, as I5I, (see Figs. 8 and 9) to be applied beneath one of the bridgepieces I41, the body of the shoe I50 being then turned around that bridgepiece,.as indicated at I52 in Fig. 8, and extended in a slightly arcuate shape across the gap between the bridgepiece I41 and that designated I411; then around, and under, the bridgepiece 1x, and backpast the bridgepiece I41; enough material being supplied to provide a resilient, stifi flap I53 at the trailing margin of the shoe component.

The attachment of the shoe components may be effected by any suitable means, such as the rivets I54 shown in Fig. 9, these passing through the two layers of material at the region where the sectional view 9 vis taken. Similar rivets may be used to secure the material to the other bridgepiece I4Izr, although this is not essential. The shoes are thus supported in an extremely flexible fashion and constitute a very eflicient means to produce the tractive effect already described.

Upon reference to Figs. 8 and 11, it will be noted that the abstracted fibers Ix, as they descend from the first stage, are at once lapped between the conveyors C' and '0", being thereby made taut.

The manner in which this is effected is further illustrated'in Fig. 8, where the characteristic rel-.

ative position of the shoes S on the upper conveyor in somewhat leading disposition with respect to the shoes S in the lower conveyor appears very clearly.

The purpose of this disposition is to cause the forward nose of each underlying shoe S to be engaged with an intermediate portion of the body a suitable thickness, having one dimension, herein of the complemental shoe S, which insures an l bridgepieces permits accommodation to'the turnassociated positions, from the entry to the po- "I being provided to permit variable throw of,

sition designated S", and thereafter. to the end of the run, the bridgepieces l41a: of the lower conveyor are opposed to a medial'fiexiblc body portion of the upper complemental shoe, and the bridgepiece I41 of the upper shoe is similarly opposed to the flexible medial portion of the lower shoe.

The trailing flap I53 of the upper shoe now enters into play, pressing resiliently toward the bridgepiece I41 of the lower shoe, so that the fibers are engaged over a substantial area of their length by each pair of shoes.

At the left end of Fig. 8, the manner in which the illustrated attachment of the shoes to the ing movement of the shoes around end sprockets I60 is shown clearly. The accommodation required when passing around the smaller sprocket IGI of the lower conveyor and also around the small sprockets I62, I63 of the upper conveyor, is similar in kind, and even greater in degree, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

From the forward end of the conveyors C and C", the useful abstracted fibers, free from nonfibrous woody components, are delivered into the bite I64 of the second stage, which may comprise mechanism of any desired character, and which, in the instance shown illustratively, as in Fig. 8, comprises a kneading head I adapted to knead the fibers in co-operation with a kneading rotor I66, each of these kneading elements being pref-. erably of the structure already described, having blades I61 and I 68 respectively, each of which blades is double edged, with the groove I 09 by which self-cleaning action is secured.

The'blades I61 are so disposed as to provide spaces I10 which act as outlets for any nonfibrous fragments that may have passed with the fiber through the conveyors, and a tray I1I may be provided to receive these fragments and divert them from the path of delivery of the fibers, which now are advanced to the conveyors C and C these being preferably of the-same type as the conveyors C and C above described.

The purpose of the second stage being principally to open up and soften thefibers, it will be understoodthat the final product of the machine. as it is delivered from the conveyors C C to a transverse conveyor C includes the entire fibrous contents of the fibrous material which has been treated. entirely freed from woody hurds, shives and all manner of non-fibrous components, the useful fibers being properly separated, softened, and prepared for use in the arts.

The conveyor C is shown as an endless band of woven wire running on rollers I12 at each side of the machine, but other forms of delivery mechanism may be utilized.

In the instance shown, the actuation of the 1 conveyor C is effected by a chain I14 running from the shaft "f roll I12 to the shaft I15 of conveyor I45, the latter being driven by a belt I16 running from a pulley I11 on the shaft I18 which is driven by the chain 18, the latthe kneading head lever I82.

,It is to be understood that numerous modifications of the several structures herein disclosed and described illustratively may be adopted without departing from the idea of means which underlies the present invention, as the possible physical embodiments thereof are not to be considered as exhausted by those illustrated.

As a possible modification I have shown in Fig. 15 a kneading couple comprising a rotor 200 fitted with blades 20I of the double-edged selfcleaning type already described, and adapted to perform a kneading action in combination with blades 202 of the same general type assembled with spaces providing outlets 203 for the fragments of woody material, shives, hurds or other non-fibrous components expelled from the fibrous material as the useful fibers are being abstracted in the course of the combined, concurrently performed steps of kneading and agitation hereinbefore described fully. r

In the structure of the present modification, the kneading head, designated generally by the reference character 204, is mounted on a plate 2I3,-which in turn is pivoted on arms 205, of

which only one is shown in the drawings, these arms having hubs 206 mounted loosely on the shaft 201 of the rotor 200, so-that the head 204 can be oscillated in an arcuate path conforming to the orbit of the blades 20I, this motion being effected by suitable means, such as the eccentric 208 on shaft 209, with an adjustable pitman 2I0 connected to a pin 2| l on the arm 205.

Provision is made for several adjustive changes in the position of the kneading head proper, 204,

relatively to its supporting arms 205, and which Y result in the kneading blades 202 being variously presented toward the blades 20I.

On each of the arms 205 is mounted pivotally,

as by a bolt 2I2, a plate 2I3 whichhas a slot 2I4 'in which stands a bolt 2I5 that can be loosened to permit rotative'adjustment of the plate 2I3 around the pivot 2I2, this resulting in a desired change in the angular disposition of the head 204 relatively to the rotor. I

To render said adjustment accurate and easy, a lever 2I6 is pivoted on a screw stud 2I1 upon the hub 206, having a fork 2 I9 adapted to be engaged with a stud 2| 8 on the plate 2I3. Ihe other end of the lever 2I6 is adapted to be swung by a known form of adjusting handscrew 220, in order to impart (reversed swinging change of position to the plate 2I3 and kneading head 204.

Provision is further made for an adjustment of the plate 2I3 lengthwise, in order to determine the radial displacement of the kneading head 204 from the center of shaft 201, and consequently the extent of separation of the blades 202 from the blades 20I. This is effected by means of a lever 22I mounted on a-pivot screw 222, set in a bracket 223 of the arm 205, the lever 22I having a forked end 224 engaged with the bolt 2I2, and having its other end provided with a known form of adjusting hand screw 225', like that shown at 220. If the nut 226 be loosened, and the handle 225 turned, the plate 2I3 can be adjusted lengthwise.

This affords a very sensitive means for adjusting the kneading head, and the concentric disposition of the arms 205 on the shaft 201 of the rotor affords a means for conforming the bodily oscillation of the kneading head 204 to the arcuate orbit of the blades 20I on the rotor.

The entire structure of Fig. 15 is somewhat more compact than that described with reference to either of the other forms of kneading stages, and it may be substituted in any kneading stage.

An added feature shown in Fig. 15 isa short tray 22'l-attached by screws 228 to end plates 229 of the kneading head sothat the oscillations of the head .204 are shared by the tray, which is thereby shaken 'so vigorously that all fragments passing through the outlets 203 and falling upon the tray will be dischargedover the inclined lip 230.

In addition to the various mechanicaldevices, such as the shaking trays and conveyors for the removal of shives, hurds and other non-fibrous components, provision is made for removal from the machine of cellulose dust, and for this purpose the machine is provided, as completely as may be found practicable, with enclosing walls, indicated generally by the reference character E, and at a suitable region, such as the top of the machine, a hood E is provided, connected through a nozzle E" with an impeller I by which the cellulose dust, etc., may be withdrawn and so recovered for useful employment or for any desired final disposition.

It will be noted that by the foregoing means the fibers are kept clean after their first stage of treatment; that the useful fibers, throughout all the parts of the machine, are kept taut and free from rupturing, crimping and folding; that the material is kneaded and agitated with high frequency while being reciprocated in a direct path, and advancing in said direct path;. and finally that all mechanisms of the machine are characterized by a floating action which aids to keep the fibers in their unimpaired, natural condition, without loss from the mechanical forces to which they are subjected.

I claim:

1. The method of abstracting and preparing fibers from bast-fiber-bearing plants and the like, said method comprising the step of exerting an oscillatory kneading action upon thefibrous material while holding it taut and causing itto reciprocate lengthwise in a direct path as it moves forward, the kneading being effective to separate the fibers from the woody non-fibrous components: and the complemental step, performed concurrently with said kneading action, of ejecting the woody, non-fibrous fragments from the path of progress of said fibers, as said iiz'ragments are separated by said kneading acion.

2. The method of abstracting and preparing fibers from bast-fiber-bearing *plants and the like, as claimed in .claim 1, in which the kneading action is performed between a force moving constantly forward, and an opposed force oscillating with a frequency of the order of several. hundred oscillations per minute.

3. The method of abstracting and preparing fibers from bast-fiber-bearing plants and the like, as claimed in claim 1, in which the kneading action is performed between a force moving constantly forward, andan opposed force oscillating with. a frequency of the order of several hundred oscillations per minute, and further characterized by having the constantly moving force acting in an arcuate' path, and by having said oscillating force applied by anelongate-l member, the extremities of which alternatdy approach and recede from said arcuate,path in each oscillation. 4. A machine of the class described, compris- "ing a primary kneading and agitating means,

operating as claimed in claim 19, and a secondary ,kneading means disposed in another stage of treatment and comprising other devices co-operating upon said material in non-intersecting paths, said devices being adapted to efiect the further opening, softening and preparation of the solid-free fibers as they proceed from said first material without intermeshing of said blades with each other.

6. A kneading rotor for a machine of the class described, adapted to co-act with an oscillating kneading head as claimedin claim 5, and having a shaft; a supporting structure for said head and rotor, including bearings for said shaft; and means by which said bearings may be moved to vary the position of said rotor relatively to said kneading head.

7. A machine for abstracting and preparing fibers from stalks of bast-fiber-bearing plants, and from other sources of fiber; said machine being characterized by a stage of mechanism comprising devices cooperating upon the fibrous material in non-intersecting paths for concurrently kneading and agitating the fibrous material to free and abstract the fibers therefrom, and to eject the non-fibrous solids from the useful fibers and from the path of treatment of the fibrous material; said machine being further characterized by the combination, with said stage, of means to feed a supply of fibrous mate- I rial, such as stalks, to said stage acting positively upon the stalks to arrange them in spread-out disposition.

8. A machine of the class described, comprising the elements combined and co-operating as claimed in claim 7, and further characterized by having a pair of magnetic rolls inthe path of the feed of said material toward said stage, said rolls being arranged in an upright couple, at least one of said rolls decreasing in diameter toward the mid-region of said couple so that the opening between the rolls at the center is greater than at the ends, and each roll being provided with right-and-left threads adapted to spread outwardly material fed into the bite of the couple at the mid-region thereof. I

9. A machine comprising the elements combined and co-operating as claimed in claim 7, and further characterized by the provision of a support for said kneading and agitating mechanism, and a feeding mechanism including a floating cradle mounted to oscillate on said support adjacent to said first stage of kneading mechanism, said cradle being provided with rolls and an endless belt adapted to run on said rolls above the path of feed of said fibrous material to said first kneading stage, and a companion endless belt below and defining said path;. and means to support said belts in flexible, resilient, compensating relation with the fibrous material fed prising opposed sets of moving'devices co-acting in non-intersecting paths and adapted to treat the fibrous material repeatedly by co-acting upon opposite sides thereof in said non-intersecting paths, and while. causing it to reciprocate lengthwise repeatedly; and a run of conveyor mechay nism moving in a straight path and having resilient gripping means to carry the fibers forward fioat'ingly in said path, while maintaining the fibers taut.

11. A machine of the class described, comprising a stage of reciprocating treating mechanism, and a run of conveyor mechanism combined and co-operating as set forth in claim 10, and further characterized by having said conveyor mechanism constituted by complemental endless chain ing kneading head including a gang of doubleedged blades carried by a rock-arm mounted to oscillate around the axis of said drum, whereby said gang of blades is adapted to be reciprocated bodily in an arcuate path adjacent to the revolving peripheral blades of said drum, acting in conjunction therewith to treat fibrous material therebetween repeatedly while causing it to move backward and forward repeatedly lengthwise.

13. A'stage of mechanism for abstracting and preparing fibers as claimed in claim 12,'and further characterized bythe provision upon said arm of means to vary the distance of said gang bodily from said drum, and means to 'vary the angular disposition of said gang relatively to other to permit ready setting of said means atthe desired positions. 4 V

15. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a stage of mechanism for abstracting and preparing bast fibers from stalks of fiber-bearingplants and from other sources of fibers; said stage of mechanism being charac terized by edged instruments adapted to cooperate thereupon in non-intersecting paths,

working simultaneously against both faces ofsaid material while concurrently .drawing the material backward and forwardrepeatedly in a direct path between said -non-intersecting edges, and feeding the material progressively forward in said direct path between said edged instruments, whereby the woody hurds, shives and nonfibrous'components are expelled fromthe individual fibers and from saidpath without crimping or folding said fibers; means to receive said hurds, shives; etc., and means to discharge them from said rrnachine; said receiving means including a shaking-tray disposed below said stage of treating mechanism and adapted, to intercept and to advance said non-fibrous materials; an endless conveyor upon which said non-fibrous components are shaken by said tray, said conveyor'being arranged to discharge laterally from the machine; a hopper disposed inclusively below said stage, tray and conveyor; anti a second end less conveyor below said hopper and also arranged to discharge laterally from the machine.

16. The method of abstracting and preparing fibers from bast-fiber-bearing plants and the like, said method being characterized by the step of subjecting the fibers to the kneading action of opposed forces rotatable around parallel axes,

one constantly forward and the other oscillating rotatively first forward and then backward, said forces co-acting upon the fibers in non-intersecting arcuate paths, said forces constituting a first oscillatois stage, and the step of subjecting the fibers to a second oscillatory kneading stage comprising other forces of like opposed constantly rotating and. oscillating arrangement,

whereby the fibers are biased forward constantly and are moved backward and forward intermittently in the direction of travel, the fibers being thus further prepared for useful employment in the arts.

1'7. The method of abstracting and preparing fibers from fiber-bearing plants, which combines in a single operation the step of kneading the fibrous materialby opposed forces each operating upon one face of the fibrous material, in 'cluding a force rotated forward constantly and another complemental oscillating kneading force rotating backward and forward in the direction of advance of the material, said forces co-acting upon the fibrous material in non-intersecting arcuate paths substantially tangent to the opposite faces thereof tofree and abstract the fibers therefrom, said oscillation beingof suitable fre quency to effect the concurrent step of agitating the non-fibrous material to an extent sufficient to cull the woody or non-fibrous components from the fibrous material.

18. The method of abstracting and preparing fibers from fiber-bearing plants, which comprises the steps of agitating the fibrous material by applying to one face thereof an edged force rotating constantly forward in the direction of advance of the material, and applying concurrently to the other faceof the material an opposed edged force caused to oscillate around an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the constantly rotating force, alternately in the same direction with the constantly rotating force and then in a direction contrary thereto, so that the material is subjected intermittently to oppositely moved edged forces, thereby freeing the fibers from the non-fibrous components, and abstracting the fibers, and advancing them in a path .clear of the non-fibrous components, the arcuate paths of said rotary and oscillating forces being non-intersecting, but substantially tangent to the opposite faces of the fibers.

19. In a machine for abstracting and preparing fibers from hast-fiber bearing plants and 'the like, meansfor kneading the fibrous material comprising a constantly rotating element having a series of edges engaged with one face of the material, and comprising also an opposed pluraledged element adapted to be oscillated rotatively around an axis substantially parallel to that of the constantly rotating element, first .in the same direction as that of the constantly rotating element and then in the contrary direction, the edges of said elements co-operating upon opposite faces of the material in non-intersecting paths, to separate the fibers-from the woody and other solids and non fibrous components, and

orifices between said edges for discharging the non-fibrous solid components of the fibrous material. v

21. -A machine for abstracting and preparing 5 fibers iro'm flber-bearing plants; said machine being characterized by a stage 01' mechanism comprising a rotating device and an oscillating head co-operating upon the fibrous materials in non-intersecting paths for concurrently kneading and scaritying the same and'for culling the non-fibrous components of the material from the fibers, said machine being further characterized by a 'feeding mechanism including a floating cradle mounted adjacent to said oscillating head,

being provided with rolls and an endless beltdriven positively in contact with said oscillating head, a companion belt co-acting with said first named belt to advance said material in a path leading to said stage, and means to support said belts in flexible, resilient, compensating relation with *the fibrous material ted therebetween. FREDERICK P. GARDNER. 

